Soil microbial characteristics at the monitoring plots on windthrow areas of the Tatra National Park (Slovakia): their assessment as environmental indicators

Abstract

This study focused on the responses of soil microorganisms to different management regimes on disturbed windthrow areas. Microbial parameters potentially serving as indicators of environmental changes within a long-term monitoring of forest development after large-scale disturbance events were assessed. Basal and substrate-induced respiration, N mineralisation, catalase activity, microbial biomass as well as functional diversity based on Biolog assay were determined in soil samples from three disturbed plots and an undisturbed reference plot in the Tatra National Park (Slovakia) since 2006. A relative congruence of inter-annual trends of microbial activity indicators at all plots results from a common response of microbiota to changes of climate at the landscape level after forest stands were destroyed. While catalase activity and functional diversity proved to be useful indicators of temporal trends, microbial biomass seems to reflect different management regimes at the disturbed plots.

Community structure of soil oribatida (acari) two years after windthrow in the high tatra mountains

“…( (Gömöryová et al 2011). Soil profile: 0-2 cm litter (spruce needles), 2-6 cm humus layer, 6-10 (15) cm dark brown mineral layer, under 15 cm and lower transition to paler mineral layer with stones.…”

“…In EXT stands, a large part has been overgrown by weeds, especially Calamagrostis villosa (Chaix) and Avenella flexuosa (L.) (Gömöryová et al 2011). Soil profile: 0-2 cm litter (spruce needles), 2-6 cm humus layer, 6-10 (15) cm dark brown mineral layer, 10-15 cm transition to grey or pale brown mineral layer with stones.…”

“…In NEX stands, ground-layer vegetation was slightly changed compared to closed forest; light demanding grasses and herbs occur in a mosaic in gaps (Gömöryová et al 2011). Forest floor covered with coniferous litter, mosaic cover of Polytrichum moss.…”

“…Jonášová et al (2010) evaluated the development of natural regeneration in the cleared and uncleared areas to assess the regeneration capability of the windthrown forests. Several other studies have focused on the responses of soil biota to different management regimes in the plots of monitored windthrown stands, e.g., microorganisms (Gömöryová et al 2011), nematode communities (Čerevková & Renčo 2009) and soil Collembola (Čuchta et al 2012).…”

The effect of windthrow, wild fire, and management practices on epigeic Collembola in windthrown forest stands of the High Tatra Mts (Slovakia)

“…Šoltés et al (2010) examined successional dynamics of vegetation in these windthrown stands. The windthrow was found to have led to a general decrease of soil microbial biomass and activity at disturbed plots (Gömöryová et al 2011). It was additionally found that the disturbance of forest soil and vegetation increased abundance of nematode communities in stands damaged by fire and stands left to natural succession, mostly due to colonizers or rstrategist species (Čerevková & Renčo 2009).…”